Preity Zinta assault case: Police may record actor's statement again

CCTV footages no much help in assualt incident, Wadia not to take anticipatory bail

The Marine Drive police are likely to record the statements of actor Preity Zinta and her former boyfriend, industrialist Ness Wadia, in the alleged molestation case registered by her. The police said they are unable to find anything conclusive from the CCTV grabs of the stadium where the incident allegedly occurred.

"Ness's birthday was on May 30, and he left late from office. He invited some guests for the Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab match at the stadium, where he had reserved some seats. On reaching the Garware pavilion around 8.45pm, he saw Preity, her relatives and friends occupying the reserved seats. Wadia's mother had to stand for some time, and this led to an argument between Wadia and Zinta. After that, Wadia walked away and got himself seated elsewhere. An argument over a seat cannot be a reason to insult or molest someone," said a source close to Wadia.

"We have to record Zinta's statement again to clarify certain things. She is abroad at present, and we will be able to record her statement only after she returns. Also, Wadia is believed to be unavailable. Once his statement is recorded, we will corroborate Zinta's and his statements with those of other witnesses," said an officer of the Marine Drive police station.

Naveen Soni, head of PR and Corporate Communication of the Wadia Group, could neither confirm nor deny whether Wadia is in India. "As of now, the police have not contacted us to get a statement recorded. At this moment, we will not apply for an anticipatory bail in the court," he said.

The police have, meanwhile, scanned a few CCTV images of the pavillion where the alleged incident took place. "The images are blurred and a lot of cheering could be heard in the footage. We are trying to enhance the images to get a clear picture. We are looking for more cameras, which can give us clear images of what had actually transpired that evening," the officer said.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Women's Rights Commission, which gave a 24-hour ultimatum for Wadia's arrest on Saturday, received a letter from the Mumbai police on Sunday, seeking more time to probe the matter.

"The police are saying Zinta is abroad and, hence, she could not be reached. Investigators claimed they have recorded some people's statements. They need to record Zinta's as well as other statements and need some more time for the investigation," said Chitra Wagh, a commission member, adding that the commission is keeping an eye on every development in the case.